Interview with Dr. Carsten Gerhardt, Chairman of the The Circular Valley Foundation
The Circular Valley Foundation has set itself the goal of advancing the circular economy as a driver of a sustainable future. Dr. Carsten Gerhardt, Chairman of the Foundation, provides insights into the mission and initiatives in our exclusive interview. A highlight of the year will be the Circular Valley Convention 2025, which will not only present the latest developments and solutions for the circular economy, but also provide a space for networking and the exchange of ideas - perfect for anyone who wants to help shape the future of the circular economy.
What is the idea behind Circular Valley, and how does the foundation advance the circular economy?
Circular Valley is an initiative and a place. It is to become the global hotspot for the circular economy, the Silicon Valley of the circular economy. We are pursuing this goal in several ways: We have developed a large network with all key stakeholders from politics, business, science and civil society, who come to us for a confidential, constructive and practical exchange. This network continues to grow and spans the entire planet. In our Circular Economy Accelerator, we also support young companies whose ideas can reduce emissions on a gigantic scale. So far, we have advanced the business models of more than 120 start-ups from six continents. Finally, we are gathering a lot of knowledge about the circular economy in Circular Valley and sharing it with everyone who wants to contribute to the big goal.
What can participants expect from the Circular Valley Convention 2025 on March 12 and 13 in Düsseldorf?
A comprehensive look at the circular economy solutions currently available on the market in the various industries and along the value chains, best practices for different “R strategies” from “rethink” and “re-design” to “re-cycle” and “re-cover”. The special feature of the trade fair is the focus on the possible transferability of strategies from one industry to other industries, as the Circular Valley Convention is deliberately not industry-specific, but x-industry oriented. In addition, the convention and its partner Fraunhofer will take a look at circular economy solutions that are currently at a late stage of development and are expected to reach the market within the next five years.
How did the collaboration with Messe Düsseldorf come about, and what does it mean for Circular Valley?
Messe Düsseldorf is the most important location for numerous industrial trade fairs worldwide (plastics, glass, steel, …), which are already dealing individually with the topic of closing the loop for their respective material flows. From the perspective of the Circular Valley Foundation, Düsseldorf - which, incidentally, is centrally located in Circular Valley - has unique potential to develop as a location for a world-leading trade fair that enables x-industry knowledge transfer in the field of circular economy. Based on this common basic understanding, representatives of Messe Düsseldorf and Circular Valley 2023 met and drafted the concept for the convention. Initial exploratory discussions quickly became concrete and, as a result of the Circular Valley Foundation’s already successful cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute Umsicht in particular, it was also possible to win Fraunhofer as a strong partner at the scientific level with proximity to concrete applications.
Why is an exhibition for circular solutions necessary?
In the almost four years that Circular Valley has been around, we have experienced enormous development. Initially, we discussed with all those involved where we stand and what opportunities and challenges lie in the circular economy. Discussions increasingly focused on opportunities for collaboration along the value chain. And now we are already taking concrete action, with real projects in practice. Regardless of where you are in this process, you need a practical view. The convention will be encouraging for those who are still at the beginning of the circular economy and equally motivating for those who are already circular economy professionals. To summarize: the convention offers inspiration for pioneers.
The Demo Day for Startup Batch #8 will take place at the CVC 2025. What are the thematic priorities?
The new round of our funding program has nine priorities: Construction materials, capital goods (including renewable energy equipment), consumer goods, agricultural products (especially biomass for conversion into new materials and ingredients); water (especially reduced water consumption and circular use in industry), plastics, alternative and renewable raw materials, value chain orchestration (including packaging, transportation, collection) and reverse logistics.
Which topics and conference presentations are you most looking forward to?
Personally, I am not so much looking forward to individual topics and presentations at the conference, as the broadly selected topics are all very exciting in their own right. The various startup presentations will certainly be exciting. I’m really looking forward to the mix of expo, conference and event. The latter will provide an excellent opportunity for bilateral exchange and discussion on how successful circular economy approaches in one industry can be transferred to other industries.
Written by: Rheinfaktor GmbH
Source: https://cvc-duesseldorf.com/interview-with-dr-carsten-gerhardt/
